New Leaf wins Silver for UK project as South Africa drives L&D
New Leaf Technologies has secured the Silver award for "Best Learning Platform Implementation" at the Learning Technologies Awards 2025 in London following its partnership with Worth, a UK-based financial education provider. The award recognises the growing appeal of South Africa as a source for high-scale outsourced learning delivery for British organisations.
Project outcomes
New Leaf Technologies' work with Worth used a bespoke NewSpring Learning Experience Platform for financial education programmes. The project enabled the onboarding of over 12,700 learners. Of those learners, 65% completed the programme, which the company states is well above global norms for online learning. According to project figures, 80% of users were active within two weeks. The implementation saw the cost per learner drop by 99%, from GBP £272 to GBP £0.21. Real-time reporting was delivered through Power BI dashboards, and integration via WhatsApp and email provided streamlined user access.
More than 8,000 learners who completed the programme reported they had reduced or eliminated personal debt. The organisation attributes this to the combination of behavioural insight, automation technology and a user-centred approach.
UK outsourcing trends
Outsourcing of learning and development services is increasing in the UK, partly as a response to tighter budgets and rising operational expectations. Studies indicate that 57% of UK organisations intend to increase outsourcing in 2025. A further 63% plan to maintain or expand partnerships in IT, HR and learning services. South Africa now accounts for almost half of the new international jobs in the UK sector.
The UK's outsourcing shift is connected to broader trends. Organisations are increasingly choosing partners who can rapidly deliver expertise, scale and cost savings. South Africa offers a time zone closely aligned with the UK's, cultural links, and strong English-language proficiency. These factors, combined with its established outsourcing infrastructure, have led more UK businesses to consider the country for high-value professional services.
Technology approach
Several technological and service features distinguished the Worth learning solution. The learning experience was mobile-optimised and included personalised reminders and nudges delivered through WhatsApp. Automation enabled high-volume onboarding, and operational visibility was supported by real-time reporting. The platform design was structured to support both rapid and enterprise-level deployment.
The programme's results, including behavioural changes related to learner debt management, were attributed to a combined model of behavioural insight, automated delivery and a focus on user experience. High activation rates within a short period were recorded, with substantial cost reductions attributed to the offshore delivery model.
Shifting perceptions
Professional ties between the UK and South Africa continue to expand beyond traditional outsourcing of customer experience and IT support to higher-value services. Learning and development is an area where this trend has become pronounced, particularly for projects requiring scalability and cost-effectiveness.
"South Africa is now seen as a strategic, high-performance destination for outsourced learning services," said Paul Hanly, CEO, New Leaf Technologies.
